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AMERICANISM AND PREPAREDNESS TOPICS
OF RAYMOND ROBINS KEYNOTE SPEECH
In his keynote speech as tempo
rary chairman of the Progressive
convention, Raymond Robins dis
cussed Americanism and- prepared
ness. Among other. things tie said:
"Let us in every way seek to avoid
repeating that irony of history
whereby the men with little-of prop
erty, with little of freedom and of
comfort to preserve against a for
eign foe have been called so often
in the name of patriotism to defend
the sacred lives and property of the
few who thereafter continue to en
joy the major part of the -blessings
of liberty, for which the many have
fought and suffered and died. We are
rightly told that we are not worthy
of self-government unless we are
able and willing to defend that gov
ernment Let us also see to it that
our government is worthy of de
fense. Let us see to it that
the money . cost of armament shall
be borne by that property which ,is
safeguarded and by that commerce
on the highways of the world which
the American flag is once agaiq.
promptly and surely to protect Let
us see to it .that the human cost in
service under arms shall be borne
equally, by all our citizenry.
We want no military caste in this re
public. We will have none if each
man serves his training time and
then returns to civil life better phy
ically and with a better understand
ing of the facts of war. With
universal suffrage- and universal
service there will be no needless
wars. Any program for na
tional security in time of war that
,does not involve social and -economic
security in time of. peace is false to
the needs of nation's life.
"Narrow-chested and gray-blooded
children living in dark rooms in
congested tenement districts, eating
adulterated food and corrupted in
their childhood by an environment
of dives, gambling dens and broth
els, are a poor foundation for a first
line of defense. Men and women
who receive regularly less than a liv
ing wage or work exhausting hours
in daily toil under anti-social condi
tions will have little enthusiasm ia
defending a country that has so
poorly defended them. The social
human waste from insanitary
homes, sweated labor and immoral,
living conditions is as much a fact
of national weakness as the lack of
guns and ammunition. 'A nation
must be worth living in to be worth
dying for.' "
Progressive Principles. "But we
would solemnly warn all those of'
easy and accommodating political
virtue that- we will not surrender
principle nor make unworthy com
promise to gain a meaningjess and
selfish political victory. We would,
rather face possible defeat fighting
for our cause than to seek assured
victory through moral treason to'
those high principls and heroic souls
that combined to make us the'sec--ond
party of this nation in 1912."
Saying that the Progressives,
stand for Americanism and pre
paredness, Mr. Robins said the su
preme need was for a MAN and his
description of the man was that of
Roosevelt.
RUSSIAN DRIVE ON AUSTRIA
GROWS 30,000 CAPTURED
London, June 7. The interest of.
the military critics of Europe is now.
centered on the armies of the czai.
The bear's offensive has now been
in"" operation for a week, each day
growing in length of line attack and
in frequency of infantry rushes. Ac-j
cording to official announcement
from Petrograd, the drive has al
ready resulted in the capture of near
ly 30,000 prisoners, together . with
cannon and small arms.,.